Millions of British children at risk of fuel poverty – rts.ch

Insufficiently heated homes, increased stress in households struggling to make ends meet: UK children face health, social and educational risks, warns a report from the Institute of Health Equity (IHE).

“This type of environment will mean that thousands of people will die earlier than they should and, in addition to lung damage in children (in cold housing), toxic stress can permanently affect their brain development” , summarizes Michael Marmot, director of this research institute on health inequalities.

Without effective government intervention, he fears a “major humanitarian crisis”, which would see more than half of British households plunge into energy poverty by next January.

Inflation above 13%

Regulated energy prices will rise by 80% from October in the UK, which should push inflation above 13% by the end of the year, or even beyond then that gas and electricity bills could rise further next year.

Real household disposable income (adjusted after inflation) is on track to fall a combined 10% over this year and next, the biggest drop in living standards in a century, the center says Resolution Foundation think tank.

This would represent 3,000 pounds (3,400 francs) less per year for an average household and “the crisis in living standards will extend well beyond this winter, until next year and 2024”, adds the center in another study released Thursday.

>> The 7:30 p.m. report in the UK:

Inevitable massive state support

The number of people “living in absolute poverty” is expected to rise by three million to 14 million in total, according to the foundation. It estimates that support of tens of billions of pounds is inevitable from the next British government.

These alarmist publications “highlight the growing difficulties of the British economy”, notes Susannah Streeter, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. And the prospect of “such a bleak winter” pushed the pound to a new low since the pandemic against the dollar on Thursday, the currency approaching the threshold where it would fall back to its lowest since 1985.

dpa/oang